Barrier structure

ABSTRACT

A barrier suitable for use in building construction materials. The barrier is formed from a plurality of members. Each member has a heat-resistant core or shell, a heat-reactive intumescent or flame retardant layer formed on an outer surface of the heat-resistant core, an antistatic and oil-phobic layer formed on an outer surface of the heat-reactive intumescent layer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/626,039, which is a continuation-in-partapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/662,655, which claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/213,265filed May 21, 2009, all of which are hereby incorporated by referenceherein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates in general to barrier structures, andparticularly to a barrier layer with fire-suppressing capabilities forbuilding structures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a panel and a mold for forming a panelaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a member of a barrier according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of as member according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a barrier according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is as flow diagram according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of building construction according toembodiments of the present invention.

Similar reference characters may denote corresponding featuresthroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, embodiments of the present invention may be formedas a rigid panel 100, which may then be utilized to form walls, or othersimilar structures, in constructions of buildings and the like. Suchstructures are further described hereinafter with respect to FIG. 6. Apanel 100 may be formed with one or more layers 102, 103 of well-knownbuilding materials, such as wood, metal, fiber reinforced polymer(“FRP”), sheet rock (e.g., gypsum board), etc., combined with aheat-resistant and/or fire suppressing barrier 28. A formation of apanel 100 may be performed in a mold 101. FIG. 1 illustrates across-section of such a mold 101, in which a panel 100 is formed. Themold 101 may be of any shape and depth.

An example of a formation of a panel 100 would be to place a structurallayer 103 in the mold 101, then deposit a barrier 28 sandwiched betweena second structural layer 102, either during or after the barrier 28 hasdried, or cured.

The barrier 28 may be formed as a layer through the stacking of multiplesizes of Members 30, 32, 34. Each member 30, 32, 34 may be spherical,the members 30 having the largest radii, the members 34 having thesmallest radii, and the members 32 having radii there between. It shouldbe understood that the relative dimensions illustrated in FIG. 3 areshown for exemplary purposes only, and that a narrower or wider varietyof members having distinct radii may be utilized, including members ofsubstantially equivalent sizes. Furthermore, embodiments disclosedherein may comprise any one or more of the members 30, 32, and 34.

The spherical contour of the members 30, 32, 34 allows for stacked,interlocking arrangement, as shown in FIG. 1, the members naturallysettling under the force of gravity into a gas-impermeable layer whendeposited into a mold 101 when formed. The specific gravity of themembers 30, 33, 34 may be in a range of between 0.05 and 0.5. It shouldbe understood that the specific gravity may be varied, for example sothat the overall weight of a panel 100 is minimized to allow the panelto be light weight and fire retardant replacing much heavier productssuch as dry wall. This compares to 0.68 specific gravity for traditionalsheet rock or gypsum board.

In embodiments disclosed herein, the smaller spherical bodies 32, 34fill in gaps between the larger bodies 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, each member may be formed from one to threecoatings. A single member 30 is shown in FIG. 2, although it should beunderstood that members 32, 34 may be formed from identical materials,although having differing radii. A central coating or core 40 may beformed from a material that can withstand temperatures of approximately350° F. or greater without melting. Although shown as being solid, itshould be understood that the core 40 may also the in the form of ahollow shell or the like. The core 40 may be coated with an intumescentcoating 38. In the event of a fire within a building structure, theintumescent coating 38, which may be heat reactive, expands, thusensuring that members 30, 32, 34 form a vapor-impermeable barrier.Alternatively, the intumescent coating 38 may be replaced (or combined)with as flame-retardant material, thus providing protection for the core40. Heat-reactive, expanding foam materials that are non-reactive withcaustic chemicals and that can withstand relatively high temperaturesare well known, and any suitable heat-reactive intumescent material (or,alternatively, flame retardant material) may be utilized. In the formingstage, the smaller members, as illustrated in FIG. 1, may fall into thespaces between the larger members, thus forming a nearly continuousbarrier against escaping vapor.

As noted above, alternatively, the middle coating 38 (see FIG. 2) may beformed from any suitable flame retardant material, the flame retardantmaterial replacing the intumescent material. The outer coating 36 may beformed from oil-phobic and/or antistatic material. Coating 36 may befurther hydrophobic. The outer coating 36 may be formed from, forexample, a high-density plastic resin mixed with an antistatic additiveor agent. The antistatic agent is effective in converting theelectrically insulating plastic into an electrically conductive materialthat does not develop a static electrical charge. Antistatic materialsare well known. One example of such a material capable of being mixedwith a high-density plastic resin is manufactured under the markGLYCOSTAT, manufactured by Lonza® of Fair Lawn, N.J. It should beunderstood that the core 40, the intumescent and/or fire retardantcoating 38, and the oil-phobic and/or antistatic coating 36 may beformed from any suitable materials so that the overall structure has apredetermined specific gravity (e.g., within a range of approximately0.05 and 0.5).

The members 30, 32, 34 may have any desired size (e.g., within a rangeof approximately 1/16 of an inch to four inches in diameter). It shouldbe understood that members 30, 32, 34 may include all three coatings ofmaterial, or may include any combination thereof. For example,intumescent and/or flame retardant coating 38 may be applied at arelatively large thickness, and thus may only be able to be applied tothe largest members 30. In this example, members 32, 34 would onlyinclude the core 40 and the antistatic and/or oil-phobic coating 36.Alternatively, the intumescent and/or flame retardant material may beused as an outer shell for the members, rather than being solely formedin the core. It should be understood that any combination of theabove-described coatings and materials may be used.

FIG. 3 illustrates embodiments of the present invention in which aplurality of the members 30, 32, 34 may be fixed in position by theaddition of an outer coating of adhesive 62, such as epoxy resin, thatbinds the members one to another to create a solid formation of membersthat serves as the barrier 28 once cured. The solid formation of members30, 32, 34 may be formed by applying the coating of adhesive 62, such asepoxy resin, to at least some of the plurality of members 30, 32, 34,and while still uncured they may be placed into a mold 101 until cured.The solid formation of members once cured may be of anythree-dimensional shape or form (e.g., dimensions that enableconstruction and ease of handling) and/or to a desired thickness oflayered members.

Referring to FIG. 5, a process of creating the members may be performedas a batch process using a tumbler or alternatively a prilling tower bystarting, with a nucleus material such as a Styrofoam member of asuitable shape (e.g., spherical), which serves as a framework orfoundation upon which the desired coatings are built up by adding eachsuccessive coating as a liquid which coats the shaped framework orfoundation. In step 801, a coating (e.g., structural) coating (e.g.,coating 40) may be applied as a liquid, e.g., epoxy resin (e.g., in thecase of a tumbler, tumbling action causes members to contact and rubagainst each other, thus coating the members with the coating 40). Instep 802, a next coating, e.g., an intumescent coating 38, may be addedwhen the previous coating, e.g., epoxy coating 40, is cured. A nextcoating 36, e.g., an oil-phobic with anti-static additive, may beoptionally added in step 802 a when the intumescent coating is cured.Any number of coatings, from none to several, may be applied to a core.

Where it is desired to create as solid matrix of members adhered one toanother, in step 803, an adhesive coating 62, e.g., epoxy resin orsimilar glue-like material, may be added. In step 804, while stilluncured, the batch may be poured or placed into a mold 101 for curing instep 805 into a desired shape as determined by the mold 101.Alternatively, instead of a tumbling process for the final coating, theindividual members may be added in layers in dry form to the mold withthe epoxy resin sprayed, e.g., as an aerosol, on top of each layer ofmembers, thus coating individual members, with the cured result being asolid form of members in the desired shape of the mold 101. Optionally,in an additional step 806, a protective layer (e.g., a textile or rubbermaterial serving to protect the matrix of members (e.g., provideprotection from the still or other environmental, physical, or chemicaleffects)) may be added to one or more surfaces of the solid formation ofmembers, such as placed or laid upon the final cured shape, and may beadhered in place using a compatible glue. FIG. 4 illustrates such anadditional layer 71. Additionally, well-known dry wall materials (e.g.,102, 103) may be applied to one or both sides of the matrix of membersto form a building structure wall 100. FIG. 6 illustrates a non-limitingexample of how panels 100 may be utilized in building construction aswalls and other barrier structures.

What is claimed:
 1. A barrier system comprising: a first layercomprising a plurality of members, at least some of the plurality ofmembers having a heat-resistant core, a median coating formed on anouter surface of the heat-resistant core, and an antistatic coatingformed on an outer surface of the median coating; and a second layercomprising a rigid building construction panel adhered to the firstlayer.
 2. The barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein said mediancoating is formed from a heat-reactive intumescent material.
 3. Thebarrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein said median coating isformed from a flame retardant material.
 4. The barrier system as recitedin claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of members areconfigured for adhering to other buoyant members.
 5. The barrier systemas recited in claim 1, wherein the rigid building construction panelcomprises wood, steel, fiber reinforced polymer, or sheet rock.
 6. Thebarrier system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a third layercomprising another rigid building construction panel adhered to thefirst layer so that the first layer is sandwiched in between the secondand third layers.
 7. The barrier system as recited in claim 1, whereinsaid antistatic coating is oil-phobic.
 8. The barrier system as recitedin claim 1, wherein said antistatic coating is oil-phobic.
 9. Thebarrier system as recited in claim 4, wherein at least some of theplurality of members have an adhesive outer coating configured foradhering to other members.
 10. The barrier system as recited in claim 9,wherein the adhesive outer coating includes an epoxy resin.
 11. Thebarrier system as recited in claim 9, further comprising a protectivelayer on at least one surface of the first layer.
 12. A buildingconstruction panel, comprising: a first layer comprising a plurality ofmembers, at least some of the plurality of members having aheat-resistant core and one or more coatings formed on theheat-resistant core, wherein the one or more coatings are selected fromthe group consisting of a median coating and an antistatic coating; anda second layer comprising a rigid building construction panel adhered tothe first layer.
 13. The building construction panel as recited in claim12, wherein at least some of the plurality of members are configured foradhering to other members.
 14. The building construction panel asrecited in claim 13, wherein said median coating is formed from aheat-reactive intumescent material.
 15. The building construction panelas recited in claim 13, wherein said median coating is formed from aflame retardant material.
 16. The building construction and as recitedin claim 13, wherein said plurality of members includes a plurality ofsets of spherical members, each of the sets having a uniform, uniquemember radius.
 17. The building construction panel as recited in claim16, wherein each said spherical member has a diameter in a range ofapproximately 1/16 of an inch to about four inches.
 18. The buildingconstruction panel as recited in claim 12, wherein the second layercomprises wood, steel, fiber reinforced polymer, or sheet rock.
 19. Thebuilding construction panel as recited in claim 13, wherein saidantistatic coating is hydrophobic and oil-phobic.
 20. The buildingconstruction panel as recited in claim 13, wherein said antistaticcoating is oil-philic.
 21. The building construction panel as recited inclaim 12, wherein at least some of the plurality of members have anadhesive outer coating configured for adhering to other members.
 22. Thebuilding construction panel as recited in claim 21, wherein the adhesiveouter coating includes epoxy resin.
 23. The building construction panelas recited claim 21, further comprising a protective layer on at leastsurface of the first layer.